tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:42:49 +0000interior52 weeks of happyfood.Etsy treasuryPinterestfashionlovely findsAdventdays outYorkshiremusicinstagramthis weekweekendingfamilyEtsyexplorephotography.From The GardenLoving Yorkshiremy homeMy Vintage Lifecraftygiveawaypolyvoreslow and simple Summervintagea piece of cakenatureChristmasfestival.Sponsored Postsinterior designprints.wishlistMy ViewUrban Gardeningeatfilm.Folklingsbooksfoundreadtelevision.LeedsScotlandnature in the homenature seekerssimple homestyle2012 highlightsDesign ProjectHome // StyleNorfolkPasta PleaseSuffolkTIYKToastTopshopYorkshire Vintageartcamera.campingdiyinterviewmy cityphotographystylingthe farm#MyYorkshirePhoto#sideviewA.P.C.Autumn. Illustration.Blueprint for YorkshireBrontesConverseFarrow and BallFat FaceMonkiOrla KielyProject Wild ThingThe Cambridge Satchel CompanyUniqloYorkshire Bloggersbathroombeekeepingblog crushblog schoolcolourdreamingfabric.guest posthomehome decorkidsmagazinenational vegetarian weekpreservingprints. birdsproduct reviewthe herb gardentravellittle birdiehttp://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (jen)Blogger654125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-4424847993631479537Sun, 29 Mar 2015 13:25:00 +00002015-03-31T19:42:49.867+01:00simple home{simple home} succulent terrarium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xyAK_s2ivhE/VRqxz2FVFsI/AAAAAAAAWdE/V-yjXWxsJBY/s1600/11055839_1430866003879482_1955806682_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xyAK_s2ivhE/VRqxz2FVFsI/AAAAAAAAWdE/V-yjXWxsJBY/s1600/11055839_1430866003879482_1955806682_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Hello! Firstly I'd like to say a big welcome to all of you who are new here to Little Birdie. I hugely appreciate you reading, commenting, liking, following, tweeting and so on. Thank you so very much and I hope you enjoy visiting often.<br /><br />This is the third post in my series {simple home}. My main focus for this year is to only have what I consider to be&nbsp;<i>'useful, or consider to be beautiful'&nbsp;</i>(William Morris). With that in mind, I've been adding more houseplants to all the rooms in my house. Some are thriving, others have issues! But I like having plants as they bring great benefits in improving the quality of the air in your home. Always a winner in my book. So again, useful and beautiful.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qrmtkfCwIhU/VRf1ot_l6eI/AAAAAAAAWXk/h0gJ8mByuig/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qrmtkfCwIhU/VRf1ot_l6eI/AAAAAAAAWXk/h0gJ8mByuig/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmQ97zbUFi8/VRba_cLtDFI/AAAAAAAAWVg/6K_m5y7syDg/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmQ97zbUFi8/VRba_cLtDFI/AAAAAAAAWVg/6K_m5y7syDg/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I love the sharp, geometric style of succulents as well as their bright shades of greens and reds. And a glass terrarium seemed the perfect place to appreciate their beauty. There are so many simple tutorials on Pinterest of how to make your own (and you can check out my board at the bottom of the post if you are looking for some ideas). But this is how I made mine.<br /><br />I chose my pyramid shaped terrarium from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.orchardlane.co.uk/accessories-c1/decorative-objects-c28/zinc-glass-pyramid-terrarium-p698" target="_blank">Orchard Lane</a>. But I really liked this one from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/uk/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=5559444450222&amp;parentid=SUGGESTIVE+SEARCH+RESULTS" target="_blank">Urban Outfitters</a>&nbsp;too (I'll maybe make another with this). I bought some alpine grit and potting compost from my local diy store. You can find succulent plants from lots of different sources, but as we grow them at the Market Garden I simply brought some home from work. Each variety that I chose (apart from the larger one in the centre) was a '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hen_and_chicks" target="_blank">chick</a>' plant. They are all very small, so they have plenty of growing space to fill the terrarium.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BREdTln5IDc/VRfyhXBotvI/AAAAAAAAWXI/OdHbV6drtVg/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BREdTln5IDc/VRfyhXBotvI/AAAAAAAAWXI/OdHbV6drtVg/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rmfZ1lI6SH0/VRfsLiT1__I/AAAAAAAAWWs/5Uli7j1-g0g/s1600/DSC_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rmfZ1lI6SH0/VRfsLiT1__I/AAAAAAAAWWs/5Uli7j1-g0g/s1600/DSC_0062.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For drainage purposes, I placed a thin layer of grit in the bottom of the terrarium. Then using the potting compost I filled it until it was almost level with the opening. On a lot of the tutorials I kept seeing that activated charcoal was used, but it's only if you have a sealed terrarium that it is necessary (it helps keep mould at bay). Then I took each of my plants and played around with where I wanted them to sit. It's a tight space to work with, so make sure you put the ones at the back in first when you come to actual planting. I made this mistake and learned the hard way! &nbsp;Once in place I gave each one a really good water. A thin layer of moss around each succulent and it was done. I'm super happy with the end result and I think I might have a go at a hanging terrarium next. x<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qBwSKHflyRA/VRgHzqlkR-I/AAAAAAAAWYc/5pPDs5QOBgA/s1600/DSC_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qBwSKHflyRA/VRgHzqlkR-I/AAAAAAAAWYc/5pPDs5QOBgA/s1600/DSC_0105.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_0UyD-Nz50/VRrqkCfzt1I/AAAAAAAAWd4/9FhEjK9Ueek/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_0UyD-Nz50/VRrqkCfzt1I/AAAAAAAAWd4/9FhEjK9Ueek/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><a data-pin-board-width="800" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="200" data-pin-scale-width="120" href="https://www.pinterest.com/littlebirdiejen/simple-home-terrarium/"> Follow Jen little birdie's board {simple home} terrarium on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script async="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/03/simple-home-succulent-terrarium.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-37069271121863132Fri, 27 Mar 2015 07:34:00 +00002015-03-28T06:57:37.026+00:00eatfood.{eat} salted caramel fudge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XsJ0KULh1AA/VRUH6tTBQqI/AAAAAAAAWU4/P3JYYFWrmIE/s1600/11085040_1428851560748768_1030943312_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XsJ0KULh1AA/VRUH6tTBQqI/AAAAAAAAWU4/P3JYYFWrmIE/s1600/11085040_1428851560748768_1030943312_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZj7RfKNrnY/VRT_cJsQalI/AAAAAAAAWUo/3_LQQt_e7r8/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZj7RfKNrnY/VRT_cJsQalI/AAAAAAAAWUo/3_LQQt_e7r8/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iDwjsS3gXhs/VRT46YoX2_I/AAAAAAAAWT8/fmo2k5RMzRc/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iDwjsS3gXhs/VRT46YoX2_I/AAAAAAAAWT8/fmo2k5RMzRc/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />Hello! Friday is the day when I like to treat myself with a big old glass of wine and a little something to nibble. I try to be good throughout the week and stay clear of biscuits and cakes (although I do often crack!).<br /><br />Like most Scots I have a bit of a sweet tooth and there is nothing more tempting than tablet or fudge. This is my absolute favourite recipe for salted caramel fudge, it's soft, rich and utterly delicious. Perfect for sugar cravings and also a great idea for gifts to teachers (I did a batch last year). But be warned, one piece is never enough!<br /><br /><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i><br /><i><b><br /></b></i>^ 200g caster sugar<br />^ 100g light muscavado sugar<br />^ 2 tbsp glucose syrup<br />^ 300ml double cream<br />^ 125g lightly salted butter<br />^ 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways<br />^ 1 tbsp icing sugar, sifted<br /><br /><b><i>Method:</i></b><br /><br />^ Grease and line a baking tray. I use a large rectangular tray as I like to make it a little thinner. <br /><br />^ Put the sugars, glucose syrup, double cream, butter and the vanilla pod in a saucepan and place over a low heat.<br /><br />^ Stir constantly until the butter and sugar have fully melted/disolved. This takes around five to ten minutes.<br /><br />^ Turn up the heat slightly and let it simmer for about fifteen minutes or until the temperature reaches 113 degrees C. (I have a sugar thermometer which makes this super easy, but if you don't you can drop a little of the mixture into a glass of cold water. If it forms a ball, the fudge is ready).<br /><br /><i>^ </i>Take the pan off the heat and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Remove the vanilla pod. Allow to cool for ten minutes.<br /><br />^ Add the sifted icing sugar and beat with a wooden spoon for about three to four minutes.<br /><br />^ Spoon into the prepared tin and then smooth the surface. Sprinkle with some sea salt flakes. Leave to cool, then chill to set.<br /><i><br /></i><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/03/eat-salted-caramel-fudge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-5692421589064607452Mon, 23 Mar 2015 16:33:00 +00002015-03-24T14:57:14.685+00:00instagramthis weekvintageYorkshireLittle Pieces<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ip2nUyR9U6E/VRAx-lyGWWI/AAAAAAAAWRI/MDUtw3tz3OY/s1600/10950537_752025714896008_1399711304_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ip2nUyR9U6E/VRAx-lyGWWI/AAAAAAAAWRI/MDUtw3tz3OY/s1600/10950537_752025714896008_1399711304_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_2FAIU1hPQ/VRBLlKZPhFI/AAAAAAAAWRs/-xaAg1cSSzo/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_2FAIU1hPQ/VRBLlKZPhFI/AAAAAAAAWRs/-xaAg1cSSzo/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PnwudBANGxU/VRAx3rVnVOI/AAAAAAAAWRA/D5FsbXtyfRM/s1600/11007922_806976796016703_295456377_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PnwudBANGxU/VRAx3rVnVOI/AAAAAAAAWRA/D5FsbXtyfRM/s1600/11007922_806976796016703_295456377_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-icgRyFDuxMA/VRBND-NlosI/AAAAAAAAWR4/EjY0id5M-Hw/s1600/10979517_1624007194497374_1608841312_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-icgRyFDuxMA/VRBND-NlosI/AAAAAAAAWR4/EjY0id5M-Hw/s1600/10979517_1624007194497374_1608841312_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EklwB8vC-gw/VRAxyML-gNI/AAAAAAAAWQ4/dyWCIZyMA-c/s1600/11049417_1385426035108402_1814449480_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EklwB8vC-gw/VRAxyML-gNI/AAAAAAAAWQ4/dyWCIZyMA-c/s1600/11049417_1385426035108402_1814449480_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Hello. How are you all?<br /><br />I haven't really been around much lately. Working and doing some little diy jobs around the house as well as us all having a nasty cold virus have left me a little flat and lacking in inspiration. <br />But I thought I'd do a quick post today as a bit of a catch up. A few 'little pieces' that have been going on in our household. Everything pictured has already been on my Instagram feed so I apologise if you have seen these already! Sometimes it's difficult to get the big camera out and it becomes simpler to snap things on the phone.<br /><br />Yesterday we visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncm.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Coal Mining Museum</a>. Now you may be thinking to yourself, really? Coal Mining? That sounds dull. I was of that thinking too. But it wasn't, &nbsp;it was actually highly enjoyable. I specifically wanted to go to check out the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.foxandmoon.co.uk/fox-and-moon-antique-fairs" target="_blank">Fox and Moon vintage fair</a>&nbsp;which was being held there. It was a relatively small fair but had some great items to peruse and super friendly stall holders. I managed to find some great treasures, a pretty silk scarf, two Observer guides (which I can't wait to use in the summer), a floral apron and a set of galvanised silver spoons. Fox and Moon can also be found doing regular fairs in Holmfirth at the Carding Shed, so it's worth checking their events page if you are looking for some new vintage places to check out. We then wandered around the museum for a while until it was time to join our prebooked underground tour. There are no photographs from inside the mine as you are not permitted to take any equipment in with you for health and safety reasons (batteries + methane gas = explosions) so I'm a tad disappointed that I didn't get a picture of me looking cool in my miner's hard hat. Anyhoo, it's an interesting although at times slightly scary tour. Twenty people rammed together in a lift going down 140 metres, 1.4 metres a second can be a little intimdating. But once you are down there is plenty of room to move and hear all about the history of working in the mines. The tour guides are great too, very funny and super with all the kids. Throw in a slice of the dandelion and burdock cake in the cafe and it was a pretty good day all round.<br /><br />Recently I made rhubarb gin with some of the forced rhubarb from the market garden and it's so darned good. Like, two glasses a night good. So it's nearly all gone and I'm currently waiting patiently on my next batch. Truthfully I've never been much of a gin drinker until I'd tasted my Mum's lemon gin and then sloe gin at&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/in-meadow.html" target="_blank">Lings Meadow</a>&nbsp;last summer. So now that I'm a convert I bought this print from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.atwopipeproblem.com/files/gin.html" target="_blank">a two pipe problem</a>&nbsp;as it's rather apt. I do like their 'Hell Yeah' prints too. <br /><br />Today was another long lunch with Manda from&nbsp;<a href="http://treefalldesign.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Tree Fall Design</a>&nbsp;at The Tetley. We both photographed our dinner because we came to the conclusion that if there wasn't a picture of it these days maybe it never happened? (There is no picture of me inside the coal mine, did I really go down? ha!). &nbsp;I chose the Charred cauliflower, Yorkshire Fettle (feta), chicory, butter beans and rosemary salad and it was stunning. I keep looking at the picture of it and want to eat it again and again and again. How can anyone make butter beans taste so good? I certainly can't.<br /><div><br /></div>Finally, I was rather chuffed that I was lucky enough to win a pair of Toast pyjamas over on their <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/TOASTuk/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>&nbsp;page. I'd had my eye on these&nbsp;<a href="http://www.toa.st/product/house+and+home+nightwear/CHDAA/Cho+Pyjama.htm?categoryref=%2fcategory.aspx%3fcategoryid%3dhouse%2520and%2520home%2520nightwear%26seoterm%3dnightwear%26&amp;pcat=house+and+home+nightwear&amp;adimage=&amp;clr=CHDAA_softblueecru" target="_blank">Cho pyjamas</a>&nbsp;for a while, and they are simply gorgeous in real life too. x<br /><br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/03/little-pieces.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-9194670171169208341Tue, 10 Mar 2015 15:26:00 +00002015-03-25T07:10:01.976+00:00interiorsimple home{simple home} - Bedroom Details<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jUbefU_i1ho/VRJd6inl9QI/AAAAAAAAWSk/_izktHxZ2x4/s1600/11007882_728954287225647_1307510065_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jUbefU_i1ho/VRJd6inl9QI/AAAAAAAAWSk/_izktHxZ2x4/s1600/11007882_728954287225647_1307510065_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9fXIuXcTNII/VRJe5IoW8bI/AAAAAAAAWS8/H7ZXJ8A4moY/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9fXIuXcTNII/VRJe5IoW8bI/AAAAAAAAWS8/H7ZXJ8A4moY/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well hello there.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>{simple home} is my latest project and is very much in keeping with my word for the year -&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/f-o-c-u-s_29.html" target="_blank">focus.</a>&nbsp;It's about sorting through all the clutter, streamlining our possessions and choosing wisely when it comes to purchases for our home. I am following the wise words of William Morris, 'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful. Or believe to be beautiful.' So with this in mind I have been slowly working my way through my home and making the necessary changes.<br /><br />It's been a therapeutic process clearing out what we don't need or use anymore. Although there are stacks of things piled up awaiting delivery to charity shops and I have plans of selling others at summer car boots.<br /><br />So starting in my bedroom, which is a super tiny space, I've made a few simple, yet effective changes. The first was changing the wall colour. It was previously a grey shade, which I never really liked that much. Our room gets the sun in the morning, then plunges into darkness mid afternoon. The grey made it much too gloomy. I wanted to bring some more light in, but not a stark white shade. I like the calming tones of cream and off -whites and I've been particularly inspired by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439663982346580215/" target="_blank">this Pin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439663982346230669/" target="_blank">this one.</a>&nbsp;So after a few tester pots, I eventually settled on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.farrow-ball.com/slipper-satin//farrow-ball/fcp-product/102004" target="_blank">Slipper Satin</a>&nbsp;by Farrow and Ball (it looks a little pink in the link picture, but it is more of a creamy shade on the wall). It's totally lifted the room, making it brighter even on the darkest of days.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kofQlHvG8xE/VP13fVNSMxI/AAAAAAAAWLI/roNSG5SNi-I/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kofQlHvG8xE/VP13fVNSMxI/AAAAAAAAWLI/roNSG5SNi-I/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KMwSpNfGFGw/VP2jQJgJE4I/AAAAAAAAWMY/KjmzusNGag8/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KMwSpNfGFGw/VP2jQJgJE4I/AAAAAAAAWMY/KjmzusNGag8/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />In the spring and summer I always like crisp white bedlinen and then team it with a bright blanket or throw. I don't like buying things that are mass produced and prefer to buy from small local or independent businesses.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.decoratorsnotebook.co.uk/collections/throws-and-quilts/products/kantha-quilt-medium-24-by-mina" target="_blank">Decorators Notebook</a>&nbsp;is always a favourite of mine as it combines a wonderful range of beautiful products for the home but with an ethical conscience. I loved these Kantha quilts made from vintage saris and handsewn by women at Basha, a fair trade social enterprise helping victims of sex trafficking rebuild their lives. I treated myself to number 21 by Sabina (each one is individually named by the maker and no one quilt is the same). It's full of gorgeous pinks and turquoises and I love it. I also read every night in bed and needed to improve the lighting so I chose the clamp loft lamp from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.baileyshome.com/lighting/clip-on-loft-lamp.html" target="_blank">Baileys Home and Garden</a>. We already have one of these downstairs in the living room and they are brilliant at providing extra light for reading by. I hate that bedside table though, so I'm on the lookout for something nicer. I'd like something a little more rustic.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oe88l16c0wU/VRJc65ux9oI/AAAAAAAAWSM/li1CJHzO5Gw/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oe88l16c0wU/VRJc65ux9oI/AAAAAAAAWSM/li1CJHzO5Gw/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TiLMpBprEg/VRJdyfY2lpI/AAAAAAAAWSc/KN6eMLUAzQk/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TiLMpBprEg/VRJdyfY2lpI/AAAAAAAAWSc/KN6eMLUAzQk/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />We're also limited with our storage options in such a small space. I've been searching for a vintage wardrobe and dressing table for months on end but I've not dropped lucky so far with ones that will fit the room (or my budget!). &nbsp;But I've been thinking about other ways that would help us practically. And lately I've become a tad obsessed with a peg rail idea. Usually if I have a blank wall, I'd just stick some pictures up on it, but by putting up a peg rail it combines useful storage for bags and hats and then I can also pop some prints on the top. I looked for a vintage one in junk shops and at the antiques fair but couldn't find one I really liked. So in the end I went for the very simple, shaker style oak six peg rail from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.housekeepingstore.co.uk/collections/household/products/oak-shaker-peg-rail" target="_blank">Housekeeping Store</a>. Beautiful and useful, I think Mr Morris would have approved. (Ikat jute tote bag from&nbsp;<a href="http://thefuturekept.com/collections/new/products/hand-woven-ikat-jute-tote-bag" target="_blank">The Future Kept</a>, lantern is from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.workshopliving.co.uk/utility/lantern" target="_blank">Workshop Living</a>, copper picture frame and hare print are both from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.coxandcox.co.uk/home/new-for-spring/new-turning-hare-standing-print-block" target="_blank">Cox and Cox</a>, the little fern print and oil painting are vintage finds). If you need some more peg rail inspiration (and who doesn't?!) then you can check out my {simple home - peg rail} Pinterest board at the bottom of the post.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YEuFwn5IZ48/VRJdfJ1m45I/AAAAAAAAWSU/FdFQ2Mlyx-c/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YEuFwn5IZ48/VRJdfJ1m45I/AAAAAAAAWSU/FdFQ2Mlyx-c/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYwL4unBxlg/VRJeOwL-PqI/AAAAAAAAWSs/s5j2kG3PVbs/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYwL4unBxlg/VRJeOwL-PqI/AAAAAAAAWSs/s5j2kG3PVbs/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>So we've made a little bit of progress with our {simple home}. Lots more to go! x<br /><br /><br /></div><a data-pin-board-width="1000" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="400" data-pin-scale-width="120" href="https://www.pinterest.com/littlebirdiejen/simple-home-peg-rail/">Follow jen little birdie's board {simple home - peg rail} on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script async="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/03/simple-home-bedroom-details.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-2446333309864639769Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:14:00 +00002015-03-14T17:43:46.623+00:00diyfoundsimple home{simple home} A Diy Poster Hanger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M-1z3qqYm5c/VPW4zwHfcOI/AAAAAAAAWJk/GRu2xSJJeEM/s1600/10995027_1553755808234160_1946492253_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M-1z3qqYm5c/VPW4zwHfcOI/AAAAAAAAWJk/GRu2xSJJeEM/s1600/10995027_1553755808234160_1946492253_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Today I have a poorly boy at home. He has a sore throat and a nasty cold which saw us all up at 3am. We're tired! He has himself ensconced on the sofa, under a blanket and is watching endless episodes of Red Dwarf, Father Ted and Fawlty Towers. In between serving endless hot drinks, I thought I would get on with a little diy project that I've been thinking about for a while.<br /><br />This picture hanger took all of about twenty minutes to make and I'm super pleased with how it has turned out. I have not photographed how I did it as I simply used this wonderful tutorial over on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.yvestown.com/blog/2014/3/diy-a-wood-poster-hanger" target="_blank">Yvestown.</a>&nbsp;Isn't her wall chart beautiful? I have slighty adapted Yvonne's tutorial as I used super glue rather than nails and I bought&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Light-Hardwood-Stripwood-6-x-18-x-2400mm/p/128331" target="_blank">this</a>&nbsp;piece of stripwood which I cut to fit my print size. It's actually a sheet of wrapping paper from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cavallini.com/p-wrap.php" target="_blank">Cavallini &amp; Co</a>, but it has a lovely vintage feel to the paper and the style. They have so many great designs, so I took a bit of time choosing, I really like those bird and butterfly prints, but in the end I really was taken by the eye chart. I bought my wrap from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.willowandstone.co.uk/stationery-prints/wrapping-paper/" target="_blank">Willow and Stone</a>&nbsp;and the twine I already had in the house.<br /><br />I've hung it next to the macrame planter which I made last year. Amazingly, that plant has survived and seems to be thriving! If you want to see how I made the plant hanger, then you can check it out&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/diy-macrame-plant-hanger.html" target="_blank">here</a>. x<br /><br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/03/d-i-y-poster-hanger_3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-6990272736121837180Sat, 28 Feb 2015 15:32:00 +00002015-03-06T09:26:17.789+00:00eatfood.{e a t} rhubarb bakewell tart <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xdN4iRKjgrI/VPBiNElsS5I/AAAAAAAAWFY/Zi6KADt-HLQ/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xdN4iRKjgrI/VPBiNElsS5I/AAAAAAAAWFY/Zi6KADt-HLQ/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y8fhtBuBUls/VPBjFoXigZI/AAAAAAAAWFg/U7Uj0waBLEY/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y8fhtBuBUls/VPBjFoXigZI/AAAAAAAAWFg/U7Uj0waBLEY/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z5z9aDHdxJw/VPQTCtJyoBI/AAAAAAAAWIg/q4WhvSNxQwQ/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z5z9aDHdxJw/VPQTCtJyoBI/AAAAAAAAWIg/q4WhvSNxQwQ/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zPkOu978axo/VPHbaRxl21I/AAAAAAAAWGQ/Zkg6b3a2hdQ/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zPkOu978axo/VPHbaRxl21I/AAAAAAAAWGQ/Zkg6b3a2hdQ/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I can't seem to stop buying tulips. But then they are my absolute favourite of all flowers. A few years ago I planted bulbs in pots in the garden, but they never made it further than our resident squirrel's dinner table. This week I chose some pretty white ones to team with some hyacinths, I like that simple combination of blue and white. And the scent of those hyacinths is incredible - I can smell them all over the house. My home is embracing Springtime, I only wish the outside world would catch up.<br /><br />Today I wasn't working, so I went for a mosey around the Wetherby Antiques Fair. It was pretty quiet and not so many stalls were set up (I suppose as it's the first of the year) but I did buy a few bits of vintage silver cutlery. Once home I thought I'd fit in a little baking. Living in the rhubarb triangle and working in a market garden means that I have forced rhubarb coming out of my ears at this time of year. We've been harvesting and boxing up the pink stuff for the last few weeks and my hands are pretty sore because it's quite slimy and a bit grubby. Each stalk has to be hand cleaned. &nbsp;My nails are full of ingrained dirt that will not go no matter how much I scrub them and my hands have taken on a dark purply red shade. I saw the poor girl who served me in the supermarket pull her hand back in horror whilst giving me my change the other day. I had washed them three times before leaving work but words can't describe how truly awful they are after a day in the rhubarb tunnel.<br /><br />On the positive side though, forced rhubarb is divine and I'm lucky to be able to get my hands on so much of it. &nbsp;I have eaten a lot of crumbles - rhubarb with ginger, strawberry or pear - I do love a good crumble. But it is also nice to try baking some other things with rhubarb. Previously I've made&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/a-piece-of-cake-white-chocolate-and.html">white chocolate and forced rhubarb cake</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/from-garden-yorkshire-forced-rhubarb.html">rhubarb and vanilla yoghurt cake</a>, both of which were utterly delicious. &nbsp;This time I thought I'd try making a sweet pastry tart with it. Teaming it with almonds to make a bakewell tart just seems so right - a bit of a match made in heaven. And it is. Enjoy. x<br /><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><i><br /></i>500g forced rhubarb, cut into short lengths<br />225g caster sugar<br />1 orange, zested and 2tbsp juice<br />1 pack sweet shortcrust pastry<br />150g unsalted butter, room temperature<br />100g ground almonds<br />2 large free range eggs<br />1/4 tsp almond extract<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />50g plain flour<br />handful of flaked almonds<br /><br /><br /><br /><i>Method:</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Preheat the oven to 180<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">°</span>C.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Toss the rhubarb with 75g of the sugar then spread over a baking tray.</span><span style="font-family: Tesco, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Sprinkle with 2 tbsp orange&nbsp;juice. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Roll out the pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin.<span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;</span>Leave excess hanging over and prick the base with a fork.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Tesco, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">^</span><span style="font-family: Tesco, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes until firm</span><span style="font-family: Tesco, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Tesco, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Line with nonstick baking paper and baking beans and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Tesco, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Remove the beans and paper, then bake for a further 10 minutes. Trim the edges when cool.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Remove the rhubarb from the syrup. Mash half and spread over the pastry.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Beat together the remaining sugar, butter,&nbsp;almonds, eggs, almond extract, baking powder, salt and flour until creamy.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Spoon the mixture over the mashed rhubarb, then scatter with the remaining rhubarb, flaked almonds and 1 tbsp sugar.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ Serve with cream or custard - your call.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/02/e-t-rhubarb-bakewell-tart.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-2842160861406998103Tue, 24 Feb 2015 10:09:00 +00002015-02-25T08:50:16.160+00:00explorehomethis weekthis week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_w-NyMroxw/VOxJSzO3fRI/AAAAAAAAWC8/I-P2CbSV7Ek/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_w-NyMroxw/VOxJSzO3fRI/AAAAAAAAWC8/I-P2CbSV7Ek/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" height="506" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPKlw-3YW2w/VOxH5WLhLcI/AAAAAAAAWC0/ChqUQxva68Q/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPKlw-3YW2w/VOxH5WLhLcI/AAAAAAAAWC0/ChqUQxva68Q/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_LZqcFghCY/VOym-LtvxGI/AAAAAAAAWDM/JiQ2-J3sDy0/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_LZqcFghCY/VOym-LtvxGI/AAAAAAAAWDM/JiQ2-J3sDy0/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">This week it has been half term. Sadly I was working most of it so we didn't get to do anything very exciting. It's always nice though to not have to get up super early and argue with the boy about taking showers, packing bags and being prepared for the day ahead at high school. So for that, I am glad of the break. Lately I feel like I've turned into a woman who shouts and nags all the time. Ha!</div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Around the house I've been completing little niggly jobs that I've been putting off forever. Like painting skirting boards. Seriously, is there any diy job worse than that? I can't not get paint on the carpet or the floor. But I've done it, finally. In the living room we've been putting up new Ikea ribba picture ledges. Mostly for the benefit of my husband who had requested a reading light and better access to his radio for listening to the football. They are bloomin' brilliant those picture ledges as inexpensive storage options, and if like us, you only have a small space to work with. The light is a clip on loft lamp from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.baileyshome.com/lighting/clip-on-loft-lamp.html">Baileys Home</a>&nbsp;and it's superb, really brightening up the whole room. I also bought some chunky little beeswax candles for my 'wee willie winkie' candleholder from the beautiful shop, <a href="http://www.workshopliving.co.uk/">Workshop Living</a>.&nbsp;And I'm so happy that my hyacinths and muscari have flowered - their beautiful scent and colour is lifting my spirits. A Springtime mantel is definitely my favourite of the year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29-pBTULhfw/VOnuhtKUgXI/AAAAAAAAV_w/Z0FdxWOofPg/s1600/DSC_0004%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29-pBTULhfw/VOnuhtKUgXI/AAAAAAAAV_w/Z0FdxWOofPg/s1600/DSC_0004%2B(2).JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uu-BYAbiaRU/VOnu0b-9QPI/AAAAAAAAV_4/QVIovm1vcH0/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uu-BYAbiaRU/VOnu0b-9QPI/AAAAAAAAV_4/QVIovm1vcH0/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bzZEXfZszMw/VOntFyGT5yI/AAAAAAAAV_k/-4QjK9L1UL0/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bzZEXfZszMw/VOntFyGT5yI/AAAAAAAAV_k/-4QjK9L1UL0/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ko1QPDXkdE/VOnu8c8cStI/AAAAAAAAWAA/Vu04PoPw9QM/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ko1QPDXkdE/VOnu8c8cStI/AAAAAAAAWAA/Vu04PoPw9QM/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sEL714IvZ0Q/VOnvP1ktDXI/AAAAAAAAWAI/pfPOYCMXWUU/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sEL714IvZ0Q/VOnvP1ktDXI/AAAAAAAAWAI/pfPOYCMXWUU/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pqx7YXbCaLQ/VOnvlk9UXDI/AAAAAAAAWAQ/v2CXahcWzm8/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pqx7YXbCaLQ/VOnvlk9UXDI/AAAAAAAAWAQ/v2CXahcWzm8/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ufhr67-xt0/VOq89qFIK_I/AAAAAAAAWBI/WUVu2syNUbU/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ufhr67-xt0/VOq89qFIK_I/AAAAAAAAWBI/WUVu2syNUbU/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OyylTn2EogE/VOq7wvlsAAI/AAAAAAAAWBA/1ivkAtkLM-s/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OyylTn2EogE/VOq7wvlsAAI/AAAAAAAAWBA/1ivkAtkLM-s/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UNy3mG7fsp4/VOoDz_0WPoI/AAAAAAAAWAw/ntfA2whBeFM/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UNy3mG7fsp4/VOoDz_0WPoI/AAAAAAAAWAw/ntfA2whBeFM/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" height="368" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uiKGUZ2Tk-g/VOnv8FWCZiI/AAAAAAAAWAY/TxLf-wu1i64/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uiKGUZ2Tk-g/VOnv8FWCZiI/AAAAAAAAWAY/TxLf-wu1i64/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />Sunday was a day to spend together. As it was my husband's birthday last week I wanted to treat him to a nice lunch at Salt's Mill. It's somewhere we go to a lot. The food is always great, the bookshop is the best in the country (in my humble opinion!) and the homewares store is super for a browse too. You can't leave without buying something. Ever. For me this time it was a copy of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ohcomely.co.uk/">oh comely</a>&nbsp;and a few greetings cards. I have a big old pile of fiction to get through, so I'm trying not to buy any more novels at the moment. But it's hard to resist in there.<br /><br />Salts Mill is of course known for it's connection to David Hockney and many of his works are there as part of a permanent collection. On the third floor there is an exhibition space devoted to touring works, currently showing Hockney's collection of paintings of the Yorkshire Wolds and capturing the arrival of Spring. All are drawn on his iPad and most scenes are of the countryside lanes and hedgerows coming back to life after the harshness of winter. The colours are bold and if you look closely, you can see the mark making techniques used. I was particularly taken with the wildflowers and the details of the flower buds on the trees and bushes. Just beautiful.<br /><br />Hope you have all had a great week too. x<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/02/this-week_24.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-4144832796940633183Mon, 16 Feb 2015 09:00:00 +00002015-03-01T07:19:51.578+00:00a piece of cakeeatfood.e a t - almond, cardamom and blood orange cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SHZv-xhWtl8/VOHCwhI8_hI/AAAAAAAAV98/P2SQbeWKg8g/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SHZv-xhWtl8/VOHCwhI8_hI/AAAAAAAAV98/P2SQbeWKg8g/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" height="462" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AriAHAJBm6I/VOHC902T55I/AAAAAAAAV-E/zBW7D8q96Mg/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AriAHAJBm6I/VOHC902T55I/AAAAAAAAV-E/zBW7D8q96Mg/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQO10Qmuk10/VOHDZ3mZIVI/AAAAAAAAV-M/oVjB5cHUd9I/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQO10Qmuk10/VOHDZ3mZIVI/AAAAAAAAV-M/oVjB5cHUd9I/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />I really need Spring. On the days when the sky is blue and the sun is shining through, I feel lifted. But they are few and far between. Instead we have grey, drizzly days. They make me tired, grumpy and utterly bored. I want daffodils, tulips and muscari to push through the earth, bringing me yellows, pinks and blues. I've brought a few into my home to try and lift my mood. I want to wear clothes without my thermals on. I want to go outside and not be rained on. I want to feel the sun on my face. I feel cooped up and I long to flee.<br /><br />So how do I make myself feel better? Well my answer is always the same - eat cake. And this is one that brings some much needed sunshine into my life. It's made with blood oranges and is lusciously zesty, is really light and leaves a warming sensation in the throat from the cardamom. It's a bit rough in the looks department, but believe me, one slice of this and you will be lifted both emotionally and physically. Enjoy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pxyt6tHam1c/VOGu4ZYhTBI/AAAAAAAAV9U/wQeGG67xX0w/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pxyt6tHam1c/VOGu4ZYhTBI/AAAAAAAAV9U/wQeGG67xX0w/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCl6J_3e3yk/VOGvN21QJxI/AAAAAAAAV9c/3da-7K0EwlM/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCl6J_3e3yk/VOGvN21QJxI/AAAAAAAAV9c/3da-7K0EwlM/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />^ 3 medium sized free range eggs<br />^ 150g icing sugar (125g for first mix and then 25g goes in the egg white mix).<br />^ 175g ground almonds<br />^ pinch of salt<br />^ juice and finely grated zest of one blood orange (or regular orange)<br />^ 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><i>Method:</i><br /><i><br /></i>^ Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.<br />^ Grease and line a 7" cake tin.<br />^ Separate the egg whites and the yolks.<br />^ In a large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks to the 125g icing sugar and mix.<br />^ To this then add the ground almonds, a pinch of salt, the juice and zest of the blood orange and the <br />&nbsp; 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom.<br />^ Stir well. The mixture will be a very thick paste.<br />^ In a second bowl whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.<br />^ Then add the remaining 25g of icing sugar and whisk again until stiff white peaks are formed.<br />^ Fold the egg whites gently into the paste mixture. Don't overmix! Then pour into prepared cake tin.<br />^ Bake in the centre of your oven for about 35 minutes.<br />^ Cool on a wire rack and then shake a little more icing sugar over the top for decoration.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aTbvNsGnLXI/VOGvkViel8I/AAAAAAAAV9o/OWF2GkNARUM/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aTbvNsGnLXI/VOGvkViel8I/AAAAAAAAV9o/OWF2GkNARUM/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/02/e-t-almond-cardamom-and-blood-orange.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-7281497958121181568Tue, 10 Feb 2015 17:22:00 +00002015-03-06T09:27:12.553+00:00BrontesexploreYorkshire{e x p l o r e} Haworth <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7LdSwXkscA/VNoL5zzpcYI/AAAAAAAAV4A/jUx6_MHDLs0/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7LdSwXkscA/VNoL5zzpcYI/AAAAAAAAV4A/jUx6_MHDLs0/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4dP2mF0Zj0/VNoMdKYVV7I/AAAAAAAAV4I/eB5ybr7qJto/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4dP2mF0Zj0/VNoMdKYVV7I/AAAAAAAAV4I/eB5ybr7qJto/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IX1vohkv9-s/VNoNuX2kXXI/AAAAAAAAV4Y/s2FgiQoLKeQ/s1600/10956561_728536023927584_1039378987_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IX1vohkv9-s/VNoNuX2kXXI/AAAAAAAAV4Y/s2FgiQoLKeQ/s1600/10956561_728536023927584_1039378987_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mY0nKmLPviQ/VNoOD8-_PUI/AAAAAAAAV4g/a6fwE2PveQs/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mY0nKmLPviQ/VNoOD8-_PUI/AAAAAAAAV4g/a6fwE2PveQs/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofnB4KTXk4w/VNoQ--Q9x5I/AAAAAAAAV4w/amrBE-cjwBI/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofnB4KTXk4w/VNoQ--Q9x5I/AAAAAAAAV4w/amrBE-cjwBI/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been twenty years since I last visited Haworth. My then boyfriend, now husband, took me there on the steam train to show me a little bit of Yorkshire I'd never heard of. It was summertime when we visited and it was super busy and truthfully I don't remember much about it apart from a pub lunch in The Black Bull and that the train stations along the line were used in the film of The Railway Children. (If you are interested the railway is having a special weekend to celebrate 45 years of the film being made. It looks great and you can find out more&nbsp;<a href="http://kwvr.co.uk/event/the-raailway-children-weekend/" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This time we drove as the steam train doesn't run a regular schedule during the winter season. The car park we chose was in a wooded area. Surrounded by tall trees, it was gloomy, grey and many crows were circling overhead, cawing. Wind whistled down the ginnel and it was a little bit eerie. A winding path took us through to the churchyard, where hundreds of graves are crammed in to a tiny space. From there we arrived at the top of the main street where a sudden burst of sunshine immediately lifted the oppressive atmosphere.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Monday seemed like a quiet day in Haworth. Many of the shops were shut as weekends are obviously their busiest time. But there were a few things open including the wonderful <a href="http://www.rose-apothecary.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank">Rose &amp; Co Apothecary</a>. Entering the shop is like stepping back in time, glass cabinets stuffed full of treasures, glittering chandeliers, battered advertising signs and of course, a fabulous range of bathtime treats. It's a feast for the eyes and nose and you will come out smelling like a perfumed garden. I'm a big fan of the <a href="http://www.rose-apothecary.co.uk/acatalog/Rose_Petal_Salve.html" target="_blank">rose petal salve</a>, it works wonders for dry and cracked lips.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fk1Zkphq-OA/VNjVxDU439I/AAAAAAAAV1c/udVUd5ZbLwY/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fk1Zkphq-OA/VNjVxDU439I/AAAAAAAAV1c/udVUd5ZbLwY/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MLEqjrHXZc/VNo1EBNHuXI/AAAAAAAAV5c/gyI_GqK9W3M/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MLEqjrHXZc/VNo1EBNHuXI/AAAAAAAAV5c/gyI_GqK9W3M/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuRIugqj2OA/VNjWNcVQCAI/AAAAAAAAV1k/NGvg7p4Qlj0/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuRIugqj2OA/VNjWNcVQCAI/AAAAAAAAV1k/NGvg7p4Qlj0/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pkx2r6wKNOI/VNjZprbsGPI/AAAAAAAAV2c/9BCFN3Euk9k/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pkx2r6wKNOI/VNjZprbsGPI/AAAAAAAAV2c/9BCFN3Euk9k/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-63uK5rhZYWo/VNjaT8RVRLI/AAAAAAAAV2k/cqm38801U5g/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-63uK5rhZYWo/VNjaT8RVRLI/AAAAAAAAV2k/cqm38801U5g/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bM2t-HjEdQ/VNjhBLYnTZI/AAAAAAAAV3A/lru7n9HQ3YY/s1600/10952978_346462002222747_459453818_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bM2t-HjEdQ/VNjhBLYnTZI/AAAAAAAAV3A/lru7n9HQ3YY/s1600/10952978_346462002222747_459453818_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />There are vintage shops galore in Haworth too, but sadly none were open whilst we were there. So I will have to return another day soon to explore these further. I really wanted to get in this second hand bookstore as I loved those Enid Blyton 'Secret Seven' book jackets. Haworth holds a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/haworth1940sweekend" target="_blank">vintage 1940s weekend</a>&nbsp;in May which looks fantastic and I'm putting it on the list of things to do this spring. Lunch was in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cobblesandclay.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cobbles and Clay</a>&nbsp;art cafe and it was fantastic. It's has a lovely rustic, laid back charm, was super family friendly and both the food and service were great. Definitely one to return to again and again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s8wKS39iLKU/VNoT9J2AF7I/AAAAAAAAV44/iY0ITMclaYQ/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s8wKS39iLKU/VNoT9J2AF7I/AAAAAAAAV44/iY0ITMclaYQ/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-spBHwKnWZRI/VNoUZPiAuSI/AAAAAAAAV5A/H-CjkAWopwU/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-spBHwKnWZRI/VNoUZPiAuSI/AAAAAAAAV5A/H-CjkAWopwU/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6RLrDMXBn_0/VNoYILHiCQI/AAAAAAAAV5M/6fHhCXuGGzo/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6RLrDMXBn_0/VNoYILHiCQI/AAAAAAAAV5M/6fHhCXuGGzo/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />Our main reason for returning to Haworth was to visit the <a href="http://www.bronte.org.uk/" target="_blank">Bronte Parsonage Museum</a>. Over the last few months I've been working my way through the novels of Charlotte, Emily and Anne. I have wanted to find out more about these three incredible writers as each of their novels has touched me in different ways. But if I had to choose, then Anne's 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' is by far my own personal favourite. The Parsonage was home to the family for many years and all three wrote their novels around the table in the dining room. I have to admit that I shed a little tear at finding out that Emily had died in that very room aged only 30. But once you read more about the conditions the whole village lived in it is unsurprising to discover that the average life expectancy was 25 years old. You are not allowed to take any photographs in the museum but it is beautiful inside. Each room is exquisitely laid out with original pieces owned and used by the family. It's also stuffed full of interiors inspiration - stunning wallpaper, paint colours and fabrics galore - it's a little like stepping into the pages of the Farrow and Ball catalogue. Once you have visited Haworth and the moorland surrounding it, you get a much stronger idea of how these places strongly influenced their stories. The family were talented artists too, and I bought myself a postcard of one of Charlotte's watercolours 'heartsease' and have displayed it on my mantel. We were planning on having a little wander around the meadow behind the Parsonage.. It used to be where the Bronte's hung their washing out and is now home (in summer) to wild flowers and a spectacular view of the moors. But it was a bit muddy underfoot after all the snow and slush so we will definitely return in better weather and have a picnic, breathe in the flowers, take in the scenery and embrace these three women who wrote some of the greatest novels in English literature. x</div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/02/e-x-p-l-o-r-e-haworth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-5750853661231152058Thu, 05 Feb 2015 17:27:00 +00002015-02-11T17:55:48.151+00:00this weekthis week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b057bn08SX0/VNHEH_tkJVI/AAAAAAAAVz8/KZPhQsaDfmo/s1600/10950425_343908085814369_1256134988_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b057bn08SX0/VNHEH_tkJVI/AAAAAAAAVz8/KZPhQsaDfmo/s1600/10950425_343908085814369_1256134988_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPMVnJ5na-c/VNuXiDdE4LI/AAAAAAAAV58/SpaXeFgrxow/s1600/10959180_652776868160034_1284324364_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPMVnJ5na-c/VNuXiDdE4LI/AAAAAAAAV58/SpaXeFgrxow/s1600/10959180_652776868160034_1284324364_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cINIwwS4R5Y/VNHEjjCk1qI/AAAAAAAAV0E/-gtcHkTLv84/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cINIwwS4R5Y/VNHEjjCk1qI/AAAAAAAAV0E/-gtcHkTLv84/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BbDmE8qlKPw/VM-53zHmjDI/AAAAAAAAVzM/C9zokyA6TVI/s1600/10956858_1376733815959243_1743150315_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BbDmE8qlKPw/VM-53zHmjDI/AAAAAAAAVzM/C9zokyA6TVI/s1600/10956858_1376733815959243_1743150315_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />Howdy. Here in Leeds this week we've had several days of sunshine. Glorious,warm and with crisp blue skies. It's been beautiful. &nbsp;But today not so much, it's been grey and gloomy. It's always on days like this that I long for Spring. My hands feels ripped to pieces by weather and work. Constantly bleeding, chapped and without any time to heal. Winter, I need you to leave now.<br /><br />This week has however provided me with some great moments to cherish. Time spent with loved ones and friends.<br /><br />^ A spectacular view and gorgeous sunny day up on Ilkley Moor. We walked all the way to the Twelve Apostles. It was pretty scary at times as there was so much ice and it took way longer than expected because of the conditions. But totally worth all that effort for that outlook. And it was so warm that we had to take our coats, hats and scarves off! I don't think I'll ever forget that view with all the snow on the hills.<br /><br />^ Bringing in some Springtime colour to my home. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths brighten up the mantel. Alongside a new buy from one of my all time favourite stores&nbsp;<a href="http://www.labourandwait.co.uk/collections/household/products/candle-holder" target="_blank">Labour and Wait</a>, this enamel candleholder has lots of rustic charm. Just need to find some nice candles now.<br /><div><br /></div>^ A great vintage find. I adore old enamelware and this kelly green colander was screaming out to be bought. It's huge &nbsp;and hardly fits in our kitchen cupboard but I just couldn't say no. My original plan was to keep it for camping equipment but it's too nice not to be used regularly.<br /><br />^ And finally, I visited&nbsp;<a href="http://thetetley.org/" target="_blank">the tetley</a>&nbsp;on Monday to meet with fellow Leeds blogger and a lady whose talent I have admired for a long time. If you don't already know Manda of&nbsp;<a href="http://treefalldesign.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Tree Fall Design</a>&nbsp;then I urge you to go check out her blog and her shop. She is one in a million. The tetley is superb and it's great to see how a building with so much history has developed into a new centre for contemporary arts whilst still celebrating it's brewing heritage. The cafe is really laid back and the perfect place to spend with family and friends. A great addition to Leeds.<br /><br />Hope you've had a great week too. x<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Pictures all from my&nbsp;<a href="http://instagram.com/jenlittlebirdie/" target="_blank">instagram</a>&nbsp;feed)</span></div></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/02/this-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-1337224561489512277Tue, 27 Jan 2015 17:48:00 +00002015-01-27T17:48:11.786+00:00eatexplorefoundreadeat // read // found // explore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-yG5jSd09Y/VMdflsCSpiI/AAAAAAAAVv0/HANK2WEZ2-0/s1600/eatread1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-yG5jSd09Y/VMdflsCSpiI/AAAAAAAAVv0/HANK2WEZ2-0/s1600/eatread1.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lDmLyPra25M/VMdlxCAPtqI/AAAAAAAAVwM/hpz7i5K95QQ/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lDmLyPra25M/VMdlxCAPtqI/AAAAAAAAVwM/hpz7i5K95QQ/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N_0W86NGar4/VMdshHovn5I/AAAAAAAAVwc/QTHVU4z2HOI/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N_0W86NGar4/VMdshHovn5I/AAAAAAAAVwc/QTHVU4z2HOI/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage2.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V9ZVEVR3KS4/VMfKiWDJWpI/AAAAAAAAVw8/JZIdhMk5Ad4/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V9ZVEVR3KS4/VMfKiWDJWpI/AAAAAAAAVw8/JZIdhMk5Ad4/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><br />Sharing my favourite homes, food, books and sites that are currently inspiring me:<br /><br />^ Reading Modern Rustic by stylist Emily Henson. A Christmas present to myself, it's full of inspiring spaces from around the world. You can check out her Pinterest boards&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/emihenson/modern-rustic-the-book/" target="_blank">here.</a><br /><br />^ Spending some time chilling out with this beautiful Tumblr site&nbsp;<a href="http://birdasaurus.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Just You Wait</a><br /><br />^ Loving the food styling and recipe ideas from the wonderful <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439663982347366442/" target="_blank">Babes in Boyland</a>, my all time favourite Scandi blog.<br /><br />^ Also on the recipe ideas front is this beautiful&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439663982347366564/" target="_blank">Spring vegetable tagliatelle</a>. Please hurry Spring, I can't wait for asparagus season.<br /><br />^ Exploring these <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439663982347366493/" target="_blank">simple evergreen wreath</a>&nbsp;making workshops - perfect for any time of the year, not just the festive season.<br /><br />^ Go take a read of Abigail's beautiful <a href="http://abigailandthefuture.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">blog</a>. Her photography is stunning and I'm a big fan of her vintage finds.<br /><br />^ I'm completely head over heels in love with this blog -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leanandmeadow.com/" target="_blank">Lean and Meadow</a>. I can't rave enough about it.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All pictures via my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/littlebirdiejen/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>&nbsp;feed except the top two which were taken by me.&nbsp;</span></div></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/01/eat-read-found-explore_27.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-2372027497609649706Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:57:00 +00002015-01-31T07:34:14.768+00:00instagramthis weekthis week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wups_ezlP2E/VMZj_JeV2tI/AAAAAAAAVuk/CBGwkwSX-dw/s1600/10895307_583711251764345_1252966611_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wups_ezlP2E/VMZj_JeV2tI/AAAAAAAAVuk/CBGwkwSX-dw/s1600/10895307_583711251764345_1252966611_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGnMGA_Kh_0/VMZkJRYTI6I/AAAAAAAAVus/CVCiCjU2VDc/s1600/10948896_872499202773090_2060549144_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGnMGA_Kh_0/VMZkJRYTI6I/AAAAAAAAVus/CVCiCjU2VDc/s1600/10948896_872499202773090_2060549144_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJLxe9suVYg/VMJ8HX6e3PI/AAAAAAAAVuE/Jhs4jZvVR_0/s1600/10932192_883838838327127_1919786949_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJLxe9suVYg/VMJ8HX6e3PI/AAAAAAAAVuE/Jhs4jZvVR_0/s1600/10932192_883838838327127_1919786949_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PZ62MISzkV4/VMPSqqKGdjI/AAAAAAAAVuU/EG8XkuPQMEg/s1600/10949063_1042452892436644_1918014535_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PZ62MISzkV4/VMPSqqKGdjI/AAAAAAAAVuU/EG8XkuPQMEg/s1600/10949063_1042452892436644_1918014535_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />Hello there! It's been a very busy but fun few days here. Lots of great company, good food and new places to visit. Here is my roundup of favourite images via my Instagram feed.<br /><br />^ A new door number that we need to hang. At least that's the plan, I have a feeling it will take a bit of persuasion to convince the husband to get the drill out. He's not a big fan of the old DIY. &nbsp;I've been searching for a vintage French enamel door number for some time but just could never get lucky with a number five. At car boots and antique fairs I always came across lots of number fours or sevens for some reason. So in the end I bought <a href="http://www.willowandstone.co.uk/front-door-furniture/french-enamel-house-number-plaques.php" target="_blank">this one</a>. I think it will look really nice next to the dark grey door colour. (Basket is from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.housekeepingstore.co.uk/products/french-market-basket" target="_blank">Housekeeping Store</a>, painting is vintage and from a carboot, painted vintage plate is from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lloydloves.bigcartel.com/products" target="_blank">Lloyd Loves</a>&nbsp;- just in case you want to know).&nbsp;I rather like it just propped up against the wall in the porch but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a front door number!<br /><br />^ A visit to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.judysvintagefair.co.uk/" target="_blank">Judy's Vintage Fair</a>&nbsp;in the Leeds Corn Exchange. Lots of lovely sellers although I didn't buy anything this time. Definitely worth a trip to one of the fairs if you have one near you in the next few months. I'm hoping to find a nice vintage dress for my cousin's wedding later in the year.<br /><br />^ &nbsp;Tulips. I can't get enough of them. Last week it was hot pink, today I've bought some lilac ones. My favourite flowers of all time.<br /><br />^ A meet up with some of my fellow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/yorkshirebloggers" target="_blank">Yorkshire Bloggers</a>&nbsp;for a fantastic lunch in &nbsp;<a href="http://www.belgravemusichall.com/" target="_blank">Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen</a>. &nbsp;This is a great venue, totally laid back and family friendly. There were lots of kids in there and all were made completely welcome. Vintage furniture, squishy sofas, enamel lighting - my kind of pub. And what an amazing roof garden! Spectacular views of the city and little sheds with fairy lights to sit in on a chilly day. The pizza was great too.<br /><br />Hope you have all had a good week too. x<br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/01/this-week_26.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-2945842059171757040Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:38:00 +00002015-01-23T16:46:41.074+00:00eatexplorefoundreadeat // read // found // explore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ojPu6qD8LM/VL49uJSBQ7I/AAAAAAAAVtg/TjO3W9PnRTo/s1600/eat3collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ojPu6qD8LM/VL49uJSBQ7I/AAAAAAAAVtg/TjO3W9PnRTo/s1600/eat3collage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YFhuwuFSqUE/VL46IGo6ZxI/AAAAAAAAVtE/90YWL9TCG98/s1600/eatcollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YFhuwuFSqUE/VL46IGo6ZxI/AAAAAAAAVtE/90YWL9TCG98/s1600/eatcollage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9KMeyTqJhng/VL49wYT6RFI/AAAAAAAAVto/vi62DPa1b1w/s1600/eat2collage.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9KMeyTqJhng/VL49wYT6RFI/AAAAAAAAVto/vi62DPa1b1w/s1600/eat2collage.jpg.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-luAmrOsxQso/VL5BmdX7zqI/AAAAAAAAVt0/h3mYCEMm59w/s1600/eat4collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-luAmrOsxQso/VL5BmdX7zqI/AAAAAAAAVt0/h3mYCEMm59w/s1600/eat4collage.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Hello! Welcome to my first round-up of eat // read // found // explore. I'm going to try &nbsp;and make these a regular feature. It's a place to share my favourite new blogs, recipes, places and reads. They are all sites that I find refreshing, interesting and most of all inspiring. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(all pictures taken from my Pinterest boards - from top left to bottom right)</i></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>^&nbsp;<a href="http://www.folklings.com/explore/plan-a-slow-adventure-2" target="_blank">Folklings </a>&nbsp;- always great for appreciating the simple things. My post on stargazing is up this week.<br /><br />^ The wonderful&nbsp;<a href="http://upknorth.com/" target="_blank">Up Knorth</a>&nbsp;blog. A place to gaze upon some Nordic beauty - design, food, diy and &nbsp; &nbsp;adventures.<br /><br />^ Simply the best vegetarian blog I have come across recently -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vegetarianventures.com/" target="_blank">Vegetarian Ventures</a>. Beautiful food, &nbsp; &nbsp;beautiful photographs, all wrapped up in a love of the great outdoors.<br /><br />^ Another stunning food blog, although not exclusively vegetarian. This is Sini's&nbsp;<a href="http://myblueandwhitekitchen.com/" target="_blank">My Blue and White &nbsp; &nbsp;Kitchen</a>, a seasonal and Nordic cooking blog. I love how she describes her winter in terms of &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;flavours. &nbsp;And so many recipes that I'm looking forward to trying.<br /><br />^ A book I will definitely be looking to buy come payday. This is <a href="http://shop.gestalten.com/rock-the-shack.html" target="_blank">Rock The Shack</a>,&nbsp;all about weekend &nbsp;homes and getaway cabins. A place to relax in nature - totally my dream.<br /><br />^ Following on from that, this&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2013/oct/04/interior-design-ideas-loch-house#/?picture=418119016&amp;index=2" target="_blank">cabin on the loch</a>&nbsp;in Scotland is all kinds of wonderful ..........<br /><br />^ An Instagram pal Claire has recently started writing a lifestyle blog -&nbsp;<a href="http://everythingakin.com/about-2/" target="_blank">everything akin</a>. It's &nbsp;beautifully photographed and styled and I am enjoying visiting there immensely. She shares some wonderful finds and interviews makers and creatives.<br /><br />^ &nbsp;Finally Annie's post on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mammasaurus.co.uk/vintage-discoveries/a-glimpse-into-my-vintage-heaven" target="_blank">her Mum's home</a>. What an amazing collection of vintage treasures! And it &nbsp;looks like such a welcoming place to live. I have been on the hunt for those &nbsp;earthenware bottles for ages - I just love them.&nbsp;</div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/01/eat-read-found-explore.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-3601289574832973643Tue, 13 Jan 2015 13:36:00 +00002015-01-13T13:36:20.154+00:00FolklingsFolklings - Slow Adventures <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3FChXXCJHyw/VLLearWavTI/AAAAAAAAVr8/L9tjGzIKM9Q/s1600/folklings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3FChXXCJHyw/VLLearWavTI/AAAAAAAAVr8/L9tjGzIKM9Q/s1600/folklings.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>image via <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439663982347131135/">Pinterest</a></i></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My first contribution of 2015 is up on the wonderful&nbsp;<a href="http://www.folklings.com/" target="_blank">Folklings</a> site. I'm curating a small series on the theme of <i>Slow Adventures.</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>&nbsp;</i> </span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421046127976_2496"></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421046127976_2496"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's all about taking the time to plan your adventures in the sunshine. Let your mind wander and be free. Be inspired to try something different. Bring on the summer. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421046127976_2496"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421046127976_2496"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can check out my post <a href="http://www.folklings.com/explore/plan-a-slow-adventure-1" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy. x</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421046127976_2496"></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421046127976_2501"><br clear="none" /></div></div></div></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/01/folklings-slow-adventures.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-3162480167210642029Mon, 12 Jan 2015 07:39:00 +00002015-01-31T07:34:27.234+00:00instagramthis weekthis week <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfG8ZR_mwbg/VKvyynLeRCI/AAAAAAAAVrU/mBaFL1Nnm7Q/s1600/thisweek1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfG8ZR_mwbg/VKvyynLeRCI/AAAAAAAAVrU/mBaFL1Nnm7Q/s1600/thisweek1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQTTfyA3Cv4/VLN0U4voAQI/AAAAAAAAVso/7qyqoEF-Qcw/s1600/thisweek4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQTTfyA3Cv4/VLN0U4voAQI/AAAAAAAAVso/7qyqoEF-Qcw/s1600/thisweek4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KdvC3agQM4g/VLLgHrkttEI/AAAAAAAAVsM/i7HWA5ZbZIA/s1600/tw1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KdvC3agQM4g/VLLgHrkttEI/AAAAAAAAVsM/i7HWA5ZbZIA/s1600/tw1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDMGKjCB8Gs/VLLgHhyJfBI/AAAAAAAAVsI/OaAvrP2WNsk/s1600/tw2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDMGKjCB8Gs/VLLgHhyJfBI/AAAAAAAAVsI/OaAvrP2WNsk/s1600/tw2.jpg" /></a></div><br />Hello!<br /><br />This past week has been very busy and windy! Alone at the Market Garden most of the time, I found myself longing for the warmth of the fire, a cup of good coffee and fairly regularly, my bed. Especially the day I was clinging to the gate, fighting the gusts in order to get it shut. I'm longing for Spring.<br /><br />However, I have been captivated by the utter beauty of the winter skies, particularly at sunrise. Those delicate pale shades of blue rippling with oranges are breathtaking. I absolutely love this first image as it holds the added decoration of crossing vapour trails from passing planes. It was a joy to behold. <br /><br />e x p l o r e&nbsp; - Visiting Leeds the previous weekend we popped into the Corn Exchange for some independent shopping. I love this piece of architecture in the city. There are some great shops in there now, including the wonderful, quirky West Yorkshire Cameras and Village Bookstore. Do head over that way for a visit as it's full of vintage clothes stores too. (The Christmas tree will obviously be down now!).<br /><br />f o u n d - A sale bargain that was too good to pass on. I've been coveting this&nbsp;<a href="http://www.toa.st/product/sale+womens+knitwear/CACED/Icelandic+Fair+Isle+Sweater.htm?categoryref=%2fcategory.aspx%3fcategoryid%3dsale%2520womens%2520knitwear%26seoterm%3dsale%2520womens%2520knitwear%26&amp;pcat=sale+womens+knitwear&amp;adimage=&amp;clr=CACED_lightcamelecrupeat" target="_blank">sweater</a> from Toast for months. It's the only thing I've bought in the sales and it is the warmest jumper I have ever possessed. I am super worried about shrinking it though!<br /><br />r e a d - And finally I'd like to recommend the best independent magazine I think there is - <a href="http://www.ernestjournal.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ernest</a>. Totally grounded, funny, informative and inspirational, it's a thoroughly entertaining read. There are so many things I want to try from it, including a long overdue visit to the Islands of Scotland. I spent a nice cosy hour in bed with it Saturday morning, cuppa in hand, before I headed off for another day at work in the wind and rain. <br /><br />Hope you have all had a good week too. x <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/01/this-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-150380379662521613Mon, 05 Jan 2015 13:25:00 +00002015-03-06T09:27:54.291+00:00food.{e a t} sweet potato, kale and feta muffins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NOZArNYqX_8/VKp9r7KTwII/AAAAAAAAVqg/of_lwiOPRgo/s1600/kale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NOZArNYqX_8/VKp9r7KTwII/AAAAAAAAVqg/of_lwiOPRgo/s1600/kale.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--RAFpC5Kijs/VKqEsgAJ5yI/AAAAAAAAVqw/UOl1IP8tMx4/s1600/muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--RAFpC5Kijs/VKqEsgAJ5yI/AAAAAAAAVqw/UOl1IP8tMx4/s1600/muffins.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9pt2tfFf2g/VKqHsDmWGiI/AAAAAAAAVq8/522Tyo2DtvU/s1600/muffinsclose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9pt2tfFf2g/VKqHsDmWGiI/AAAAAAAAVq8/522Tyo2DtvU/s1600/muffinsclose.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />January is a month where a lot of people go on a diet and start excercising more. Yes it's good to cut back after all the feasting over the holiday period but I never think it's a very nice idea when the days are dark and cold to start eating salads. You need food that is warming, comforting and helps keep you thoroughly nourished through the winter months. So my plan over the next year is to highlight the vegetables and fruits that I'm eating and are at their seasonal peak. January is the month of my absolute favourite green vegetable - kale.<br /><br />If you are used to only buying kale from the supermarket in a bag, then you are more than likely to have found it disappointing. Kale needs to be eaten as freshly picked as possible, otherwise it starts to taste bitter. I'm lucky as we grow four different varieties at the Market Garden, so I'm spoiled for choice. But I urge you to go to your local greengrocer and see if they are selling fresh kale as you will be able to tell the difference.<br /><br />I use kale a lot in our meals. It goes in soups, smoothies, stir fries and pestos. This first recipe I want to share with you is a good one for picnics and packed lunches. Stuffed full of vegetables and protein, it's a great one to get kids eating some more veg too. There is no sugar in them either, the sweetness comes from the puree so they are pretty healthy all round. And although I've scattered the feta cheese on the top, they would be lovely with the feta mixed through the batter too. <br /><br /><u>Recipe</u><br /><br /><i>Dry ingredients:</i><br /><br /><div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">2 cups</b> <span class="description">white spelt flour.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1 teaspoon</b> <span class="description">fine salt.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1/2 teaspoon</b> <span class="description">black pepper.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1 teaspoon</b> <span class="description">baking soda.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1 cup</b> <span class="description">kale, stalks removed, roughly chopped.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">2 tablespoons</b> <span class="description">parsley, finely chopped.</span></span></li>- See more at: https://iquitsugar.com/recipe/sweet-potato-kale-feta-muffins/#sthash.IOPhHWE8.dpuf</div>230g spelt flour<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp black pepper<br />1 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />1 large handful kale, taken off the stalk and chopped roughly<br />1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped<br /><br /><i>Wet ingredients:</i><br /><br />3 free range eggs, lightly beaten<br />140g natural greek yoghurt<br />50ml extra virgin olive oil<br />3 large tbsp sweet potato puree (I used this <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/313813/sweet-potato-puree" target="_blank">recipe</a> to make this)<br />100g feta, chopped into tiny pieces<br /><br /><i>Method:</i><br /><br />^ Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C.<br />^ Line a 12 hole muffin tray with muffin cases.<br />^ Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. <br />^ In a smaller bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together except for the feta.<br />^ Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Fold together until just combined.<br />^ Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cases. I use an ice-cream scoop to do this as it divides the mixture pretty evenly between the twelve cases.<br />^ Sprinkle the small cubes of feta over the top of each muffin.<br />^ Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes.<br /><br /><div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">2 cups</b> <span class="description">white spelt flour.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1 teaspoon</b> <span class="description">fine salt.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1/2 teaspoon</b> <span class="description">black pepper.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1 teaspoon</b> <span class="description">baking soda.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">1 cup</b> <span class="description">kale, stalks removed, roughly chopped.</span></span></li><li><span itemprop="ingredients"><b class="metric">2 tablespoons</b> <span class="description">parsley, finely chopped.</span></span></li>- See more at: https://iquitsugar.com/recipe/sweet-potato-kale-feta-muffins/#sthash.IOPhHWE8.dpuf</div></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2015/01/e-t-sweet-potato-kale-and-feta-muffins.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-2961715538017049202Mon, 29 Dec 2014 15:49:00 +00002015-03-07T18:04:17.602+00:00f o c u s <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjGfluyJzrs/VKFs3EXbGMI/AAAAAAAAVqM/nQdW1cvMaMo/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjGfluyJzrs/VKFs3EXbGMI/AAAAAAAAVqM/nQdW1cvMaMo/s1600/download.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />Hello there! I do hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas. As a family we have had a great and much needed break from work and school. The lurgy did stick around though, so there has been a lot of time spent on the sofa, watching movies and drinking hot water, lemon and honey. But I'm glad to say that we are feeling a lot better and all ready for the coming New Year.<br /><br />I'm not one to make resolutions but I have been thinking about this space and how I want it to be for the coming months and years. This blog started out as a way of sharing my love of Scandi interiors with a few family posts thrown in for good measure. I've learned so much from writing this blog, had huge ups and downs and discovered my love of taking pictures. But now this space feels totally different and my posts are more about slow adventures, simple living and exploring. <br /><br />To reflect these changes I'd like this space to be clearer, have more structure and hopefully this will motivate me to get back to posting more often. So I've been tweaking the design and layout a little, taken away some of the clutter. I've decided to make posts more of a 'features' idea and these have been chosen to reflect my interests, passions and inspirations. Little Birdie is celebrating it's fourth birthday in a couple of weeks, so to mark this I'm aiming to have four features:<br /><br />e a t - vegetarian or vegan food. seasonal eating. grown locally. I'll be sharing my adventures in the kitchen or featuring a favourite vegetarian blogger/recipe. <br /><br />f o u n d - handmade,local sellers and vintage finds. From car boot finds, junk shop treasures and online discoveries, these will be my favourite new things for my home or style.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><br />r e a d -&nbsp; what I'm currently curling up on the sofa with - novels, cookery books, interior books or independent magazines. <br /><br />e x p l o r e - mostly Yorkshire places and spaces. Discovering some new days out and camping spots. Also new UK destinations that I plan to visit this year.<br /><br />Just to reassure some of you, this is not a way of me incorporating lots of sponsored posts and product reviews into this blog. In fact I've decided to stop accepting these for the time being. It's something that I've been pondering for a while and definitely feels the right thing to do for me going into 2015. <br /><br />So I wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to sharing more slow adventures in the coming months. Thanks for reading!<br /><br />Jen x<br /><br /><br /><br /><a data-pin-do="embedBoard" href="https://www.pinterest.com/littlebirdiejen/focus/"data-pin-scale-width="120" data-pin-scale-height="600" data-pin-board-width="800">Follow jen little birdie's board {focus} on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script type="text/javascript" async src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>&nbsp; <br />&nbsp; <br /><br />&nbsp; </div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/12/f-o-c-u-s_29.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-4451987668299061799Sun, 21 Dec 2014 12:22:00 +00002014-12-29T15:32:37.878+00:00Christmasinstagramthis weekThis Week and Happy Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KU_zQ1N6C80/VJayQvw4zgI/AAAAAAAAVpU/almQc2FDBMQ/s1600/10865201_688793671234090_1213212345_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KU_zQ1N6C80/VJayQvw4zgI/AAAAAAAAVpU/almQc2FDBMQ/s1600/10865201_688793671234090_1213212345_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2zSMTJRenQE/VJayez3QE5I/AAAAAAAAVpc/BbgNZNW8OBk/s1600/10852655_775317512547207_1682902316_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2zSMTJRenQE/VJayez3QE5I/AAAAAAAAVpc/BbgNZNW8OBk/s1600/10852655_775317512547207_1682902316_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ij5h7R75QU/VJayqC-pzFI/AAAAAAAAVpk/xaQCWEnpnK8/s1600/10844236_320563701480783_450227261_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ij5h7R75QU/VJayqC-pzFI/AAAAAAAAVpk/xaQCWEnpnK8/s1600/10844236_320563701480783_450227261_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pr5uRBExHDQ/VJay2bnaPTI/AAAAAAAAVps/Ik4L3TyZLqM/s1600/10865233_1511254305818472_776729608_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pr5uRBExHDQ/VJay2bnaPTI/AAAAAAAAVps/Ik4L3TyZLqM/s1600/10865233_1511254305818472_776729608_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><br />Hello there! My plan last week was to avoid the lurgy, yet I failed. The virus was of course passed my way and I have spent the last few days feeling like utter crap. Coughing, sniffing, headache and now laryngitis have left me well and truly under the weather. I'm pretty sure I've lost my voice for all the shouting I seem to do these days. Since the Boy went to High School, hormones have kicked in and Kevin the Teenager appears to be living with us. All I hear is 'it's not fair'! And there is constant whining and complaining whenever you ask him to do anything. The terrible twos were nothing compared to this spotty creature that now strops about the house. I have no idea how I'm going to get through the next few years. Wine will help I suppose.<br /><br />Anyhoo, although I've been feeling poorly, there have been one or two nice things going on. I have made a little garland for the living room. Just a collection of different sized cardboard stars, spray painted copper and stuck onto some thread. And I bought some winter berries to compliment the season. Simple, rustic chic.<br /><br />Lovely packages in the post from the beautiful online store, <a href="http://thefuturekept.com/" target="_blank">the future kept</a>. I think brown paper with a ribbon and tag is always so pretty - I must remember to do this more often. It was a little present to my husband and I for Christmas. We don't buy each other anything but pick one thing together that we both like.<br /><br />A visit to our local cafe for breakfast. This is the brilliant <a href="http://www.millkitchen.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mill Kitchen</a> where we go often. Their scrambled eggs on sourdough toast just lifts the spirits and made me feel so much better. And the interior is perfect - industrial pendant lighting, Tolix tables, vintage style schoolchairs and huge refectory style dining tables. I'm also really enjoying reading their <a href="http://millkitchenstories.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>, where they share some of their lovely recipes.<br /><br />Inside that beautiful brown paper parcel was&nbsp;<a href="http://thefuturekept.com/collections/homeware/products/british-made-100-wool-blanket" target="_blank">this lovely blanket</a>. It took so long for me to choose the colour. I loved the grey but eventually went for the blue slate. It's 100% wool and is so cosy. I'm enjoying lying under it on the sofa and watching my 30 Rock box set. Coupled with a mug of hot lemonade, it does make me feel a little bit better.&nbsp; <br /><br />Last Sunday I was delighted to be featured on Gemma's lovely blog <a href="http://www.littletinypieces.co.uk/blog/2014/12/7/share-the-love3" target="_blank">little tiny pieces</a>. Little Birdie was selected as one of Gemma's 'Share the Love' blogs and she said it 'reminds her of a cosy, welcoming little cafe'. How nice is that? Thank you Gemma. Please do go check out her beautiful blog as it's one of my new favourites.<br /><br />Finally, I want to wish you all a very Happy Christmas. I know it's a bit early, but I am going to have a bit of a blogging rest and then hopefully come back rested and refreshed! x</div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/12/this-week-and-happy-christmas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-8669156106066087739Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:58:00 +00002015-01-06T13:24:16.471+00:00bathroommy homeproduct review'Showering Perfection' with Mira Showers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--IFlC4f1Nvk/VI729u5GQoI/AAAAAAAAVn8/P-aae_3HLQ0/s1600/securedownload%2B(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--IFlC4f1Nvk/VI729u5GQoI/AAAAAAAAVn8/P-aae_3HLQ0/s1600/securedownload%2B(5).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sadly my bathroom is not a calm, relaxing space. First of all it's tiny, has no window so therefore no natural light. Ventilation is provided by a fan, so it's also noisy. When we bought the house it had a huge vanity unit with a shell shaped sink (nice eh?) and lots of dark wood and huge cream tiles. It was not pretty. We took that all out, replaced it with a simple white bathroom suite, white tiles and white walls and it was a whole lot better. But recently I've wanted to create something more relaxing. The white feels a little stark and now I want to introduce something warmer. So I've painted the wall above the tiles a mushroom-grey shade and I'm looking at our storage requirements. Ideally I'd like a wooden cupboard and hooks for towels, but with no window, it does give us issues with condensation. &nbsp;So I'm trying to think of ways around that.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other thing that needed improving was our shower. I was delighted when&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mirashowers.co.uk/home.htm" target="_blank">Mira Showers</a>&nbsp;got in touch and asked me if I'd like to review one of their 'Showering Perfection' kits. This included the revolutionary&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mirashowers-store.co.uk/products/mira-360m-four-spray-showerhead.aspx" target="_blank">360 showerhead</a>&nbsp;and a selection of Molton Brown goodies. Mira aim to give you an invigorating, refreshing and soothing shower every time you use it. The 360 showerhead rotates to offer you four different experiences - <i>rain, burst, storm and cloud</i>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sJdybqSNzTE/VI73E6VucmI/AAAAAAAAVoE/T6h5W_Sd4eU/s1600/securedownload%2B(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sJdybqSNzTE/VI73E6VucmI/AAAAAAAAVoE/T6h5W_Sd4eU/s1600/securedownload%2B(6).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tmrFhQbAIjU/VI73QtCUEMI/AAAAAAAAVoM/0ppm7nl28Rk/s1600/securedownload%2B(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tmrFhQbAIjU/VI73QtCUEMI/AAAAAAAAVoM/0ppm7nl28Rk/s1600/securedownload%2B(7).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />Harry and I both love the top setting - <b><i>rain</i>.</b> It's powerful yet gentle and totally drenches your entire body. Our old shower never did this so I'm finding this lovely, especially with the mornings being so much chillier. It completely relaxes you and I'm finding it harder to get out of the shower as it's way too cozy!<br /><br />The showerhead then rotates to position two - <i><b>burst</b></i>. This is super powerful, a directional blast of water, to the point it nearly knocks you off your feet! It's not something I would use regularly, but I can see the benefits for me in the future. It's a sheet of massaging water and I'd like to use it after a hot summer day at the Market Garden. It would be great to come home and take a cooler shower with that setting. But in December it's not quite right for me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn3N9vQSBKk/VI75SpcvfLI/AAAAAAAAVoY/4O-xyvMVxjE/s1600/securedownload%2B(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn3N9vQSBKk/VI75SpcvfLI/AAAAAAAAVoY/4O-xyvMVxjE/s1600/securedownload%2B(8).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y69FzQ_uz3k/VI8RNYn5HFI/AAAAAAAAVow/iBWjYbnU8NU/s1600/securedownload%2B(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y69FzQ_uz3k/VI8RNYn5HFI/AAAAAAAAVow/iBWjYbnU8NU/s1600/securedownload%2B(10).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />The third setting is <i><b>storm</b>. </i>This provides you with a saturating downpour and is my husband's favourite. He likes this setting as he finds it invigorating and it allows him to get completely wet and he doesn't have to manoeuvre around under the showerhead,<br /><br />Finally the showerhead flips to position four - <i><b>cloud.</b> </i>This setting is gentler than burst, although again it's a directional spray of water. Cloud is softer and soothing and offers a very relaxing shower. Once again, it's a setting that I would prefer on a warmer day as I need to be surrounded by warmth at the moment!<br /><br />We've really enjoyed testing this showerhead out. It's even managed to persuade a very reluctant pre-teen into the shower a bit more! The Molton Brown goodies were a lovely added bonus. Thank you to Mira for providing us with this kit to review.<br /><br /><i>All words, photographs and opinions are my own.&nbsp;</i><br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/12/showering-perfection-with-mira-showers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-2114776915398006210Sun, 14 Dec 2014 10:15:00 +00002014-12-14T10:19:04.383+00:00instagramthis weekThis Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-asxSXR8qeNo/VI1TWAMTWcI/AAAAAAAAVnM/v3KjiF7RpDQ/s1600/10831956_311575939052864_20396053_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-asxSXR8qeNo/VI1TWAMTWcI/AAAAAAAAVnM/v3KjiF7RpDQ/s1600/10831956_311575939052864_20396053_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nO7qKnYVyPU/VI1TLFcf4pI/AAAAAAAAVnE/GS8G_UNiBIs/s1600/10838432_751620444912963_1987357921_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nO7qKnYVyPU/VI1TLFcf4pI/AAAAAAAAVnE/GS8G_UNiBIs/s1600/10838432_751620444912963_1987357921_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mPEHKucQg8/VI1hT216EjI/AAAAAAAAVnk/zCNUnnshurU/s1600/10817839_1499472753646564_2090723174_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mPEHKucQg8/VI1hT216EjI/AAAAAAAAVnk/zCNUnnshurU/s1600/10817839_1499472753646564_2090723174_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yowxargTwLA/VI1Tc8RqsFI/AAAAAAAAVnU/B9k6Z_qP8hs/s1600/10570070_693378724113839_550071970_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yowxargTwLA/VI1Tc8RqsFI/AAAAAAAAVnU/B9k6Z_qP8hs/s1600/10570070_693378724113839_550071970_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div><br />Hello!<br /><br />This week has been super busy and most of the members of my household have some kind of lurgy. So far I have managed to avoid it and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep it at bay for Christmas. Lots of hot drinks of lemon and honey have been consumed as well as winter warming foods - soups, stews and pies.<br /><br />I've been busy on my days off work, Christmas shopping, household chores and also doing a little painting in the living room. Our blue wall has gone. Although I loved it, I always felt that it was too much in a such a small space. I needed a colour to make the room feel bigger - to let the light in more (we only get the sun in the morning, so the room gets dark quickly in the afternoon). After trying many, many samples, I finally settled on Farrow and Ball's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.farrow-ball.com/strong-white//farrow-ball/fcp-product/102001" target="_blank">Strong White</a>. I'd seen it used in pictures from the gorgeous <a href="http://www.remodelista.com/posts/folklore-in-london-style-plus-sustainability" target="_blank">Folklore shop visit on Remodelista</a>&nbsp;and was drawn to it immediately.&nbsp;It's the most beautiful shade of off-white, makes the room feel spacious and also warm. I'd never used the F &amp; B emulsion before, only the interior and exterior eggshell but the emulsion is the best ever - the walls feel velvety smooth. I've only done the one wall at the moment, so I've a long way to go. That's my job over the Christmas holidays! I've also painted a little feather with some of my leftover copper spray paint. Just half a feather as I rather like the contrast with the black.<br /><br />As part of my 'avoid illness at all costs' plan, I've been making soups to take to the Market Garden. It's been so cold this week and we've had to contend with some horrible wet and windy days. So this Roasted Carrot, Sweet Potato and Fennel Seed Soup has been brilliant at warming me up at lunchtime. I got the recipe from my favourite vegetarian food blogger&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com/2014/07/roasted-carrot-fennel-lemon-soup-recipe.html" target="_blank">My Darling Lemon Thyme</a>, although I slightly adapted it as I used red onion rather than garlic (I don't like the stuff!). It's absolutely delicious and definitely one I'll do regularly over the winter months. Lots of people have asked about my jumper in this picture - well, it's from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hm.com/gb/product/30416?article=30416-A" target="_blank">H&amp;M</a>&nbsp;and it&nbsp;is super warm and washes brilliantly well. My absolute best buy for clothing this winter.<br /><br />An early Christmas present - to myself! We always get some money to spend from my mother in law. I'm determined to buy as many local and made in the UK presents this year and these were top of my wishlist. Pretty enough to be stockings on the fireplace, these are blanket socks. I'm wearing them every night in bed and they are keeping my feet super toasty and pretty. From the beautiful&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fforest.bigcartel.com/product/fforest-blanket-sock" target="_blank">Fforest General Stores</a>,&nbsp;designed and made in Wales. But I'm totally lusting after&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fforest.bigcartel.com/product/coldatnight-welsh-wool-blanket-the-dark-specials" target="_blank">this</a>&nbsp;- isn't it stunning? I love those Welsh tapestry designs.<br /><br />Finally, the <a href="https://www.dulux.co.uk/shop/colour/breton_blue" target="_blank">blue </a>is still in the house as it was originally the colour I painted the wall behind Harry's desk. I've made a few changes to that area recently to try and make it a better place for him to work at. Now that he's in High School, the homework has piled up and he needs a clear and organised space. So I bought him the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60192826/" target="_blank">Ikea Alex unit</a>&nbsp;to be able to tidy some things away and removed one of the vintage Habitat trestle legs. I also swapped the vintage school chair (as it's a bit cold with the metal back and wooden seat) for our replica Eames DAW chair and gave it some warmth from a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30229077/" target="_blank">faux sheepskin</a>. Much cozier and also (hopefully) tidier.<br /><br />Thanks for reading. Hope you all have a great week and I'll be back soon. x<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(All pictures via my Instagram).</span>&nbsp;</div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/12/this-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-1390658550484892084Fri, 05 Dec 2014 17:18:00 +00002014-12-28T08:57:51.946+00:00ChristmasexploreTIYKYorkshireexplore: Grassington Dickensian Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYlm6_l_QXQ/VHtI7BxPJlI/AAAAAAAAViI/RJKt610jNWM/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(40).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYlm6_l_QXQ/VHtI7BxPJlI/AAAAAAAAViI/RJKt610jNWM/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(40).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BY_0mqX9BdA/VHx7WUDlqJI/AAAAAAAAVjI/w6Ha2zHKvkU/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(42).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BY_0mqX9BdA/VHx7WUDlqJI/AAAAAAAAVjI/w6Ha2zHKvkU/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(42).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wr1EeDiIds0/VHx5zntvlhI/AAAAAAAAVi8/fecOSO11-LM/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(43).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wr1EeDiIds0/VHx5zntvlhI/AAAAAAAAVi8/fecOSO11-LM/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(43).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDNHdQI0VcY/VHxzpY2yCRI/AAAAAAAAVik/MJ6da5XCSew/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(29).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDNHdQI0VcY/VHxzpY2yCRI/AAAAAAAAVik/MJ6da5XCSew/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(29).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ySDWSF7wO8Y/VHxzpQR27RI/AAAAAAAAVis/0rxERTNDUAY/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(30).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ySDWSF7wO8Y/VHxzpQR27RI/AAAAAAAAVis/0rxERTNDUAY/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(30).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />Hello! Last Saturday we headed to Grassington in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales to visit their annual Dickensian Festival. Held over three Saturdays before Christmas it's a special place to visit if you are searching for a little festive spirit. We've visited Grassington before, but only during the summer months and it is a pretty little Yorkshire Dales village stuffed full of quirky shops, pubs and cafes, including a good veggie one - The Retreat. As a family we've been planning to visit the Dickensian Festival for years but work, bad weather and illness have always prevented us from getting there.<br /><br />You can read about our experience of the festival over on the wonderful <a href="http://www.thisisyourkingdom.co.uk/article/grassington-dickensian-festival/">This is Your Kingdom</a>&nbsp;site, but I just wanted to mention a couple of things over here if you are interested in going. Firstly, you cannot park in the village during the festival. If you choose to take your car you need to use the park and ride service that is in operation from a nearby quarry. You can find the satnav postcode for this&nbsp;<a href="http://www.grassington.uk.com/dickensian-festival/4564274306">here</a>. It costs £10 to park the car and that also entitles all passengers to use the park and ride service.&nbsp;The quarry is naturally a little dirty underfoot so make sure you wear boots or wellies if we have some heavy rain in the next few days. The bus service is superb and they are running backwards and forwards to the village about every ten minutes. It's super busy at the festival and some of the shops are so packed that they only let a couple of people in at a time. So be prepared to queue. The same applies to the cafes and pubs. But there are plenty of good street eats to be found and loads of places to sit and eat outside. The best place I discovered was the little pottery through the ginnel - it has a lovely courtyard garden stuffed full of old flower pots and vintage french garden furniture for sale. I'll definitely be heading back in the springtime to get me some of those coloured chairs! Do go check it out.<br /><br />If you are looking for any other Christmas things to see and do in Yorkshire, you can check out my previous festive posts - meeting&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/visiting-big-guy-ingleborough-caves.html">Santa at Ingleborough Cave</a>&nbsp;and a really old one -&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/enchanted-wood.html">The Christmas Adventure at Stockeld Park</a>&nbsp;(although we only did the woodland walk part). Or pop over to the Yorkshire Bloggers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/yorkshirebloggers">Facebook</a>&nbsp;page and you can find lots of other things to see and do over the festive period. x<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/12/tiyk-grassington-dickensian-festival.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-7166367606912895893Fri, 28 Nov 2014 16:07:00 +00002014-12-28T08:59:03.323+00:00explorevintageYorkshireYorkshire Vintageexplore - Saltburn-by-the-Sea <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nsRtlj4iHI/VHDMg2eFbHI/AAAAAAAAVdE/xglHPZlj1sg/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nsRtlj4iHI/VHDMg2eFbHI/AAAAAAAAVdE/xglHPZlj1sg/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(11).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cl6Zx5eMmbQ/VHdXfPTIiKI/AAAAAAAAVek/6cV3uJzaUL8/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(21).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cl6Zx5eMmbQ/VHdXfPTIiKI/AAAAAAAAVek/6cV3uJzaUL8/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(21).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhZonTnxX2E/VHdnMfM3LHI/AAAAAAAAVfs/zqWQa9saY3Y/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(26).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhZonTnxX2E/VHdnMfM3LHI/AAAAAAAAVfs/zqWQa9saY3Y/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(26).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0DTdDnbDsww/VHdbjatZNLI/AAAAAAAAVe4/hWlF2lsGBP0/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0DTdDnbDsww/VHdbjatZNLI/AAAAAAAAVe4/hWlF2lsGBP0/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(16).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEmFrWJKH8I/VHiXUaVN7eI/AAAAAAAAVf8/ho4Le0-45LU/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(27).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEmFrWJKH8I/VHiXUaVN7eI/AAAAAAAAVf8/ho4Le0-45LU/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(27).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ghx_5IcJfM0/VHdWpJuKWkI/AAAAAAAAVeY/RH88pqID9Ms/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(20).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ghx_5IcJfM0/VHdWpJuKWkI/AAAAAAAAVeY/RH88pqID9Ms/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(20).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbh5Q51oJH4/VHdcVMc6srI/AAAAAAAAVfA/mU4tNm3OF9o/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(24).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbh5Q51oJH4/VHdcVMc6srI/AAAAAAAAVfA/mU4tNm3OF9o/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(24).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Hello! The weather here in West Yorkshire hasn't been very good the last few days. No sunshine, not even a glimmer of a blue sky. All grey, lots of drizzle. &nbsp;Hopefully it's been a bit nicer wherever you are.<br /><br />Last Saturday we took a road trip to the seaside. Leeds is so far away from the sea, but it is totally worth the long drive as the North has such a beautiful coastline and there are many places to visit. This time we headed to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, a town I'd only ever driven through on the way home from a previous trip to&nbsp;<a href="http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/weekending-north-yorkshire-coast.html">Staithes</a>, but thought I must go back and properly explore one day.<br /><br />Saltburn was originally a Victorian seaside resort with a long pier and the oldest water balanced cliff tramway still in operation today (although it being winter it wasn't running). It isn't a seaside town that is stuffed full of amusement arcades or rowdy crowds but has a quiet charm with lots of original period features.<br /><br />First up was a visit to an Instagram chum&nbsp;<a href="http://instagram.com/beckymit">Becky</a>&nbsp;and her wonderful, quirky vintage tearoom&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Profile.Gallery">The Sitting Room</a>.&nbsp;We've been following each other for a while on IG and I've loved her pictures of family life on the beach as well as pictures of colourful cakes and vintage china in the tearoom. Located in the station buildings, the cafe is a charming mix of retro furniture, eclectic pieces and quirky touches. I especially liked the little details - the collection of vintage cameras on top of wall shelves, antlers with dangling neon pompoms and the vintage bar stool with painted green legs. The cake range is fab and Harry chose the rainbow layered cake. It was devoured in seconds. For me, it had to be white chocolate, pistachio and rose cake - it was unbelievably good alongside a cup of coffee from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/baytowncoffee?fref=ts">Baytown</a>. The cafe was bustling and it was great to see it being celebrated as a favourite local haunt. We had a lovely chat with Becky, heard all about their cocktail nights and we thought we'll definitely be back next summer with our tent to go to one of those evenings! Next door to the cafe, Becky and her husband also run a cosy lifestyle shop that's stuffed full of vintage treasures, artisan pieces and original artworks.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ee0iUL1iS_s/VHdnBeHN7XI/AAAAAAAAVfk/Qw8UgEj0zHU/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(25).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ee0iUL1iS_s/VHdnBeHN7XI/AAAAAAAAVfk/Qw8UgEj0zHU/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(25).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pUxZ17Pn8ug/VHdiGM3rX0I/AAAAAAAAVfY/AWIlhDylKlc/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pUxZ17Pn8ug/VHdiGM3rX0I/AAAAAAAAVfY/AWIlhDylKlc/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(10).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wvnGMvdI0fg/VHdaIQiK27I/AAAAAAAAVew/LqnMoeScQAg/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(22).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wvnGMvdI0fg/VHdaIQiK27I/AAAAAAAAVew/LqnMoeScQAg/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(22).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F2wRQ8hIcL0/VHdhizDorkI/AAAAAAAAVfQ/KkHGC3M1Zts/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(23).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F2wRQ8hIcL0/VHdhizDorkI/AAAAAAAAVfQ/KkHGC3M1Zts/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(23).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />We then headed off to the beach and enjoyed a long walk on the pier and seafront. &nbsp;The beach is glorious, really clean and stretches for miles. There were lots of surfers taking on some big waves and kids playing football. Seagulls circled. But it all felt very laid back, a place to really relax. We sat outside at the surfers cafe and ate toasted sandwiches and drank hot chocolate for lunch. We didn't even need our coats on. The sun kept shining and the winter sky was beautiful to photograph. It was a perfect November Saturday. If Saltburn is a place you've never thought of to visit, I urge you to go. It's a little hidden gem on our Northern coastline.<br /><br />Have a great weekend all. x<br /><br /></div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/11/saltburn-by-sea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-5091073912045173123Tue, 18 Nov 2014 15:25:00 +00002014-12-28T11:46:00.062+00:00FolklingsFolklings - 'Harvest and Gather'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvvC9z0E7WI/VGhpy1xU7KI/AAAAAAAAVbw/mhDn_0OFQBY/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvvC9z0E7WI/VGhpy1xU7KI/AAAAAAAAVbw/mhDn_0OFQBY/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(3).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-588oQMH6Z7Q/VGhrZRI6KOI/AAAAAAAAVcY/JKjXP5ZfhR8/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-588oQMH6Z7Q/VGhrZRI6KOI/AAAAAAAAVcY/JKjXP5ZfhR8/s1600/vscocam-photo-1%2B(6).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Life has been a bit exhausting recently. Work has been a hard slog with daily soakings and the inability to get warm from the damp. On Friday I felt like I was wearing a nappy all day as my bottom was that wet! Coming home to housework, cooking and helping the boy with his homework has left me feeling shattered and ready to flop down on the sofa, never to get up. Add in to this mix that the cat is ill and constantly has us up throughout the night means that we are permanently drained of all energy. So I'm behind with everything, including my contributions to the lovely&nbsp;<a href="http://www.folklings.com/">Folklings</a>&nbsp;site.<br /><br />I have however, finally managed to send Annie over my piece for this week. Based around the theme of 'Harvest and Gather', it's a celebration of beautiful Autumnal vegetables and what to do with them. You can go check it out <a href="http://www.folklings.com/explore/harvest-and-gather">here.</a>&nbsp;Hope you like it. x</div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/11/folklings-harvest-and-gather.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-3845594370295201687Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:18:00 +00002014-11-18T09:23:08.732+00:00TIYKtravelYorkshireThis Is Your Kingdom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k6OARLdMBGc/VEUtFzEgqYI/AAAAAAAAVK8/P-rV_BsxkQA/s1600/078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k6OARLdMBGc/VEUtFzEgqYI/AAAAAAAAVK8/P-rV_BsxkQA/s1600/078.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrcVRyQAPMc/VEY8cxQ6VJI/AAAAAAAAVL4/THuS9m7aBpg/s1600/1413821212.902504.63.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrcVRyQAPMc/VEY8cxQ6VJI/AAAAAAAAVL4/THuS9m7aBpg/s1600/1413821212.902504.63.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q72Gs0T93tA/VGTTIyZyXNI/AAAAAAAAVbM/cUAUnB7qSSg/s1600/1413906870.060756.37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q72Gs0T93tA/VGTTIyZyXNI/AAAAAAAAVbM/cUAUnB7qSSg/s640/1413906870.060756.37.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a_7vktLHsH8/VGTSv5-ZT8I/AAAAAAAAVa8/78n49br971w/s1600/1413875001.535229.55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a_7vktLHsH8/VGTSv5-ZT8I/AAAAAAAAVa8/78n49br971w/s640/1413875001.535229.55.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to be contributing to the wonderful UK travel site, <a href="http://www.thisisyourkingdom.co.uk/">This Is Your Kingdom</a>. If you don't already know this brilliant site created by Rebecca and Hannah, then do pop over there now as it's stuffed full of inspiring places to visit all over the United Kingdom. From country walks, art galleries, pub lunches, vintage shopping and glamping sites, there is something for everyone to explore around their county or further afield.<br /><br />You can read a little <a href="http://www.thisisyourkingdom.co.uk/author/jen-little-birdie/">interview</a>&nbsp;I did over there and see what I shared <a href="http://www.thisisyourkingdom.co.uk/article/todmorden-shopping-bear-picture-house-antiques/">here.</a>. It's more from the wonderful market town of Todmorden including further adventures in <a href="http://picturehouseantiques.com/">Picture House Antiques</a> and a visit to the fantastic vegetarian cafe <a href="http://www.bearco-op.com/">The Bear</a>. &nbsp;Hope you like it! x<br /><br />ps I've shared some extra pictures on this page as well as a couple of my favourites. Big thanks to all at Picture House Antiques and The Bear Co-Op who were all extremely obliging in my photography requests!&nbsp;</div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/11/this-is-your-kingdom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064037299224408561.post-6038929080305939463Sun, 09 Nov 2014 08:51:00 +00002014-11-10T14:22:15.730+00:00interviewvintageYorkshire VintageYorkshire Vintage - H is for Home <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FOBesrcEb8/VE36_d_q7-I/AAAAAAAAVRk/tf6NwP8NSfg/s1600/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FOBesrcEb8/VE36_d_q7-I/AAAAAAAAVRk/tf6NwP8NSfg/s1600/054.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br />One of the things that I'm aiming to do with this blog is make it more Yorkshire focused. I want to feature special places to visit, local makers, cafes, shops, vintage shops and antique fairs. I like nothing better than a rummage and I thought it would be a nice idea to build a little series around some of my favourite Yorkshire vintage sellers. And today I'm starting with a cracker!<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago I took myself off for the day to the lovely market town of Todmorden. I like to take the train to the Calder Valley, sit and gaze out the window and totally lose myself in the scenery. It's a pretty part of the world, sometimes overlooked for the Dales and the Yorkshire Coast, but to me it's equally beautiful. Lots of wild landscapes, industrial mill towns and rolling hills.<br /><br />One of my favourite vintage sellers and bloggers, Adelle from&nbsp;<a href="http://hisforhome.com/">H is for Home</a>&nbsp;lives in the quirky market town of Todmorden.&nbsp;Many of you who read this blog will know their online shop and blog. They are well known in the vintage world for their brilliant finds and lovely styling. I've been a big fan for many years and I'm lucky that I live close enough to be able to visit their actual store based in&nbsp;<a href="http://picturehouseantiques.com/">Picture House Antiques</a>. Located on the first floor, you are instantly greeted by a riot of colour and retro patterns. Adelle and I met for a coffee and a bit of a chat over our mutual love of vintage and adopted home of Yorkshire.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZy7x6evtCw/VE37QItbkHI/AAAAAAAAVRs/cCaR07j5-Vc/s1600/063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZy7x6evtCw/VE37QItbkHI/AAAAAAAAVRs/cCaR07j5-Vc/s1600/063.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself?</i></span><br /><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i><br /><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7278" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are Adelle &amp; Justin, co-owners of H is for Home. We’re retailers and bloggers based in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. We sell vintage homewares via our online shop and local antiques centre space. Our accompanying blog focuses on design, decor and lifestyle.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i><span style="color: #666666;">What was the first vintage piece you bought?</span></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7300" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ooooh, that’s going back a long way! We bought an old beech baker’s table almost twenty years ago when we used to live in Brighton. It’s still in our kitchen today and much used and loved. Having said that, some of Justin’s vintage vinyl records go back even further!</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7300" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PRg5HnEm7JU/VF8jom0OKfI/AAAAAAAAVZM/G3b-PPjcglw/s1600/1413891442.889339.32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PRg5HnEm7JU/VF8jom0OKfI/AAAAAAAAVZM/G3b-PPjcglw/s1600/1413891442.889339.32.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7300" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>What is your most treasured vintage item and why?</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7318" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Justin bought me an exquisite, original Art Deco diamond and ruby ring at auction many years ago. I love it - I don’t want to know how much it cost!</span></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tq8XKU8GQLc/VF8kiYnP0sI/AAAAAAAAVZU/Qd5a0NsgSkc/s1600/1413890628.246331.62.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tq8XKU8GQLc/VF8kiYnP0sI/AAAAAAAAVZU/Qd5a0NsgSkc/s1600/1413890628.246331.62.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>Tell us a bit about Picture House Antiques?</i></span><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7333" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Picture House Antiques has been trading in the centre of Todmorden for about ten years. There are about sixteen different dealers housed under one roof over three floors. We’ve been trading from there for about the past six or seven years. We started with a cabinet and have expanded to a room-sized space. We don’t need to be there round the clock as we would if it was our own shop. It suits us down to the ground as it’s a short walk from where we live; so we can pop in to check what’s going on, restock and straighten up the space.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7333" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2uytp1zCs0/VF8lM1K_cZI/AAAAAAAAVZg/P-9OuDxqmfY/s1600/1413891284.939629.56%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2uytp1zCs0/VF8lM1K_cZI/AAAAAAAAVZg/P-9OuDxqmfY/s1600/1413891284.939629.56%2B(1).JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7333" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7336" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>What's your favourite vintage item for sale now?</i></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7336" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7336" style="background-color: white;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7348"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the website it’s the the <a href="http://hisforhome.com/shop/perival-sewing-silks-storage-box/">Perival Sewing silks box</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s beautiful, useful and we’ve never come across another one. At Picture House, it’s a late 18th / early 19th century Irish farmhouse table; it’s a lovely original piece of furniture with wonderful patina - and very practical.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7348"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-txdfUrxTGWk/VF8mts1j1JI/AAAAAAAAVZo/Qo2kccdCT7I/s1600/1413891377.490682.17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-txdfUrxTGWk/VF8mts1j1JI/AAAAAAAAVZo/Qo2kccdCT7I/s1600/1413891377.490682.17.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7348"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>What's your own home style like?</i></span></div></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7351" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We live in a traditional, stone-built house. It’s two knocked together mill workers’ cottages dating from around 1800. There’s lots of exposed stone, beams and wooden floors. We mix country antiques with vintage mid century modern and industrial pieces. It’s a constantly changing as shop stock often finds a home for a few weeks before being sold!&nbsp;</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7351" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8KrKzQz_5WU/VF8nOXnqJiI/AAAAAAAAVZw/mE4LUJxo8QE/s1600/1413891410.902806.6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8KrKzQz_5WU/VF8nOXnqJiI/AAAAAAAAVZw/mE4LUJxo8QE/s1600/1413891410.902806.6.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7351" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>Who or what inspires you?</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7382" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We find inspiration from lots of places. We have subscriptions to a few magazines; Elle Decoration, Living Etc, Homes &amp; Antiques and Country Living. Other interiors blogs are another great source of ideas - too many to list!! We also browse social media streams such as Pinterest, Twitter and Flickr.</span></div></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7382" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7382" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>Where do you like to visit in Yorkshire?</i></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7382" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7382" style="background-color: white;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415519372784_7384"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yorkshire is a stunning county, so many great places from which to choose. We live in the Pennines and have great walking country on our doorstep, but the Yorkshire Dales have their own distinct character too and they’re only a short drive away. We love the coastline and Whitby is a favourite destination for a long weekend or short stay. If we fancy a day out shopping, we go to places like Ilkley, Skipton and Huddersfield - antique centres, markets, interesting independent shops and places to stop for coffee and cake.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7UANaloVDus/VF8n9_NKeXI/AAAAAAAAVZ4/rzEPcz-nirU/s1600/1413891229.172549.7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7UANaloVDus/VF8n9_NKeXI/AAAAAAAAVZ4/rzEPcz-nirU/s1600/1413891229.172549.7.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thank you so much Adelle for taking the time to meet with me and answer all my questions! If you get the chance to visit Picture House Antiques, do as it's stuffed full of vintage treasures. For further retro delights from H is for Home, go to their&nbsp;<a href="http://hisforhome.com/">online shop</a>&nbsp;or their&nbsp;<a href="http://hisforhome.com/blog/">blog</a>. x </div>http://jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.com/2014/11/yorkshire-vintage-h-is-for-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (jen)8